By Joe Mueller | The Center Square
Approximately $311 million was distributed to 62,000 workers who filed claims under Colorado’s new Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program since payments started in January.
Colorado became the first state to establish a partial paid-leave program when voters passed Proposition 118 in November 2020. The initiative allows all Colorado workers to obtain up to 12 weeks of paid leave to take care of themselves or their families during circumstances keeping them from working. Those experiencing pregnancy or childbirth complications can receive an additional four weeks.
Colorado businesses and workers began paying premiums to fund the insurance program in 2023. The state provides an online premium and benefits estimates calculator. A worker with a $75,000 annual income would pay $6.49 per week, or $337.48 annually, and their employee would pay the same amounts. The weekly leave pay would be approximately $1,015.